Little details can be very revealing.

[randomness]

Tsui, Julian, and I had tried and failed to go to an all-chicken yakitori place in Cuppage Plaza, so we ended up going to the food court around the corner. It was a standard food court in Singapore, so I didn't bother with a write-up. For example, Julian and I agreed that the roti prata we shared was simply lousy.

However, what struck me was this: tables and chairs were at a premium, as it was lunchtime. So what people were doing is to find an empty table, dump their bags, and then wander off to find food. The bags would sit, unattended and unwatched, while folks queued up at the various vendors, until the owners returned with their trays of food.

I saw one guy in shirt and tie put down a laptop bag and walk away without a backward glance.

I mentioned this to Julian and Tsui and they both shrugged. No surprise. I guess that's just the way it is.

Don't try this at home, unless your home happens to be Singapore.